​Student’s BiographyRachel is currently a tenth grade homeschooled student. Her academicachievements include maintaining a 4.0 grade average and winning essays at the districtlevel in the Patriot’s Pen and Fleet Reserve Competition. In addition to conventionalcollege prep studies she has participated in competitive speech and debate and takesclasses at a local homeschool cooperative program.She has played violin in the Citrus Youth Educational Orchestra for the past 3 years andhopes to further her studies in piano. She is a dedicated member and volunteer at theCitrus Missionary Baptist Church. She plans to attend college locally and is currentlyinterested in pursuing degrees in accounting and nutrition.​

Nathan Hale: Courageous and Patriotic Spy of the Revolution

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” (Commager 476). ManyAmericans are familiar with this quote of Nathan Hale, but know little else of this great patriot.Much can be gained by a deeper look into his background, his courageous patriotism, and hisfinal hours.

​Richard Hale, Nathan Hale’s father, said of his birth on June 6, 1755 “… He shall becalled after… my kinsman Nathan, and I shall be well pleased if he have as high a sense ofduty”(Phelps 13). One historian records, Nathan “was feeble in body at the beginning of his life,”(Phelps 13) and was not expected to survive. But, during the “critical second year, herebounded…, physically and mentally” (Phelps 13). Before Nathan turned eleven, his motherdied. Overcoming these early obstacles must have contributed to Hale’s fortitude, and at the ageof fourteen, Nathan was accepted to Yale University. While there, his father gave him thiswarning, “… [I] would by all means desire you to mind your studies and carefully attend toorders of college. Attend not only prayers in the chapel but secret prayer carefully. Shun allvice…” (Phelps 21). Nathan took his father’s advice and became known as a man of greatintegrity. A Yale physician said of him, “He was quick to lend a helping hand to a being indistress, brute or human: was overflowing with good humor, and was the idol of all hisacquaintances” (Phelps 27). He also said of Nathan, “That man is … calculated to excel in anysituation he assumes. He is a gentleman and scholar - and last though not least of hisqualifications, a Christian” (Phelps 27). Nathan Hale graduated from Yale on September 8, 1773.In the spring of 1774, at the age of eighteen, he acquired a school in New London, Connecticut.On a normal school day, he would teach 33 students in one room from 7:00 A.M. until 9:00P.M., with only one free hour at lunchtime (Koestler-Grack 21). One of his students said of him,“He was a happy and faithful teacher, everybody loved him” (Koestler-Grack 21). But, his careeras a school teacher would be short lived.

The late 1700’s was a time of great unrest in the English colonies that would eventuallyerupt into the Revolutionary War. When the news of the battle of Lexington and Concordreached New London, Nathan felt the call of duty to protect freedom. He said in a speech atMiners Tavern, “Let us not lay down our arms till we have gained independence” (Koestler-Grack 58). On July 7, 1775, he wrote a letter to the school, in which he stated, “Gentlemen,having received information that a place is allotted me in the army… I am constrained to ask…to be excused from keeping your school any longer. School-keeping is a business of which I wasalways fond… but at present there seems an opportunity for more extended public service”(Phelps 75). Hale was showing the depths of his patriotism in his willingness to put aside hisown ambitions for the good of his country.

Nathan joined the Connecticut army on July 17 and by September 1 became captain ofthe Nineteenth Continental Company (Koestler-Grack 62). Within a year of Hale’s enlistment,the British had gained total control of Long Island and began to fortify it with large numbers oftroops (Phelps 137). General Washington needed to know the specifics of General Howe’s plans.He commissioned Hale’s commanding officer, Captain Thomas Knowlton, to find a spy (Phelps138). Knowlton did not want the burden of choosing a spy, so he assembled a meeting of soldiersexpressing this need, hoping that one of them would volunteer. Almost immediately after hearingthe need, Nathan, although battling the flu, stepped forward and said, “I will undertake it, sir”(Phelps 142). His fellow officers tried to convince him otherwise. Hale said to them, “I think Iowe to my country the accomplishment of an object so important and so much desired by thecommander of her armies… I am fully sensible of the consequences of discovery and capture insuch a situation, but for a year I have been attached to the army and have not rendered anymaterial services while receiving compensation for which I make no return” (Phelps 143; Rose17).Dressed as a Dutch schoolmaster, Nathan Hale made it to Long Island on the morning ofSeptember 17th (Rose 19). Returning from the secret mission, less than a week later, he stoppedat a Tory tavern where he met Robert Rogers. Rogers was, as one of his men said as “subtle anddeep as hell itself” (Rose 19). He had heard that there was a peculiar newcomer asking questionsof the townspeople. After watching Nathan Hale for several days, Rogers joined Hale at thetavern and introduced himself as a “fellow American soldier,” in hopes of getting some answers(Phelps 173). He told Hale, “I myself am upon the business of spying out the inclination of thepeople and motion of the British troops” (Phelps 174). The owner of the tavern stated in hisjournal, “This intrigue not being suspected by the Captain, made him believe that he had found agood friend, and one that could be trusted with the secrecy of the business he was engaged in”(Phelps 174). Nathan agreed to Rogers’ invitation to breakfast the next morning and fell into thefateful trap. As soon as Hale had disclosed his mission, Rogers ordered a waiting Tory companyto bind Hale and take him to General Howe (Phelps 181). After questioning Hale, Howeimmediately ordered his execution for the next morning, and placed him in the care of hisprovost marshal, William Cunningham (Phelps187). Seeing much loyalty in Nathan,Cunningham offered him a “full pardon” if he would join the British Army (Koestler-Grack 92).Hale replied, “Nothing makes me more loyal to my country than a temptation to forsake her”(Koestler-Grack 92). Nathan requested two things of Howe: a chaplain and a Bible and wasdenied both. Howe’s chief engineer John Montrésor, however, offered Hale the “protection of histent” (Phelps 187). Later, Montrésor said of Nathan, “He was calm; he bore himself with gentledignity, the consciousness of rectitude and high intentions” (Phelps 188). The engineer grantedNathan’s request for writing supplies so that he could write letters to a family member and hiscommanding officer. However, Cunningham refused to send the letters, reasoning “that therebels should not know that they had a man in their army who could die with so much firmness”(Bennett 28). On the morning of September 22, Nathan made his way to the tree that had beenchosen for his fate. His parting words were, “You are shedding the blood of the innocent. If I hadten thousand lives, I would lay them all down if called to do it in defense of my injured, bleedingcountry” (Phelps 192). He then gave warning that everyone there should be prepared to meetdeath in what ever shape it may come. Nathan Hale, unwilling to save his own life, showed hisconcern for the well being of his fellow man, even his enemies.​Nathan Hale’s acts of courageous patriotism and selflessness can be a lesson to us all.Even his enemies noticed his bravery and integrity. He showed his selflessness as he laid downhis life for his country. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for hisfriends.”(John 15.8)